Türkiye’s tourism sector closed 2025 with revenues reaching $65.231 billion, reinforcing the country’s rapid ascent as one of the world’s most powerful tourism economies. The country welcomed 63.9 million visitors during the year, according to figures announced in İstanbul by Mehmet Ersoy, Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism. Ersoy said the sector’s momentum is set to continue, confirming a 2026 revenue target of $68 billion, as Türkiye strengthens its position not just as a regional hub but as a global tourism leader.
Global rankings reflect Türkiye’s rise
Ersoy pointed to data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, highlighting how sharply Türkiye’s international standing has improved over the past decade. In 2017, the country ranked eighth globally for international tourist arrivals. By 2024, it had climbed to fourth place, marking one of the fastest ascents among major destinations. A similar trajectory is visible in tourism revenues. Türkiye ranked 15th globally in 2017, but by 2024 had risen to seventh, underlining a shift toward higher value tourism rather than volume alone.
According to the minister, Türkiye’s tourism model has evolved significantly, supported by growing experience in crisis management and resilience. The sector has diversified far beyond traditional beach tourism, with strong growth across culture and faith tourism, nature and eco tourism, archaeology, health and thermal tourism, gastronomy, congress and fair tourism, cruise travel and winter tourism. Ersoy also highlighted flagship initiatives such as the Heritage for the Future vision and the Night Museums projects, describing them as achievements that only a limited number of countries worldwide have successfully implemented at scale.
Beyond Sun, Sea and Sand
Türkiye’s promotional strategy has also played a key role in its global visibility. The country’s use of a “miniseries” storytelling model has delivered strong international engagement. A single episode of An Istanbul Story attracted 32 million views, while even the least viewed content reached 10 million views, reflecting the growing impact of content led destination marketing. In 2025, Türkiye recorded 63.94 million visitors, representing 2.7 percent growth compared with 2024 and a 68 percent increase since 2017. Tourism revenues rose 6.8 percent year on year, while growth since 2017 stands at 109 percent. Average spend per night reached $100, up 3.6 percent compared with 2024 and 36 percent higher than 2017, pointing to improving yields alongside volume growth.
Türkiye’s three largest inbound markets in 2025 were the Russian Federation with 6.9 million visitors, Germany with 6.75 million, and the United Kingdom with 4.27 million, underlining continued strength across Europe and Eurasia.
